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An estimated 76% of American adults need vision correction, but even if you have perfect vision, regular eye exams can play a vital role in your health.
Eye examinations can detect diseases such as diabetes or glaucoma. Plus, modern life and prolonged exposure to digital screens can create eye issues.
What Is Vision Insurance?
Vision insurance helps cover the cost of caring for your eyes, particularly routine eye exams, prescription glasses and contacts. Some plans may also offer discounts for corrective surgery, such as LASIK.
Vision care isn’t generally covered by major medical plans, which is why separate vision insurance can play a key role in your health.
What is VSP vision insurance?
Vision Service Plan (VSP) is the largest vision insurance provider in the U.S. Coverage starts immediately, and you can use your benefits as soon as you sign up. Many plan options start as low as $13 per month.
You can get individual coverage directly from the company and many employers also offer VSP insurance as part of their benefits package.
How Does Vision Insurance Work?
You can usually buy vision coverage through an employer or directly from an insurance company. Coverage may be provided by a vision insurance company or as part of health insurance benefits.
You may pay a premium to have vision insurance, and a plan may cover the cost of eyeglasses, contacts, routine eye exams and other services related to the overall health of your eyes. These premiums are often much less expensive than those for health insurance.
There are two main types of vision coverage. Vision insurance, which is similar to health insurance, and a vision discount plan. Here’s how they differ.
Types of vision insurance coverage
| Coverage type | How it works |
|---|---|
Vision insurance | Similar to a health insurance plan, vision insurance usually has a deductible, copay, coinsurance and premium. Some plans may require you to visit certain in-network eye doctors. Vision insurance providers may also offer an allowance on certain eye care products, such as eyeglasses. If the cost of the product exceeds the allowance, you pay the difference out of pocket. |
Vision discount plans | Discount plans cover a percentage of your costs for exams and corrective eyewear. A discount plan isn’t insurance and won’t help pay for care, but a vision discount plan may cost less than vision insurance. |
Vision insurance coverage varies by plan. Many vision insurance companies cover the cost of an annual eye exam if provided by an in-network provider. These policies may also offer help paying for glasses and contact lenses up to an annual maximum.
On the other hand, laser surgeries, including photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) and LASIK, aren’t usually covered by vision insurance. Vision insurance considers those procedures elective surgery, but a vision policy may offer discounts on those policies.
Average Cost of Vision Insurance
Vision insurance starts at about $5 a month. The exact costs depend on what benefits are included, where you live, how many people are on your plan and other factors.
How much is vision insurance a month?
You can expect to pay around $5 to $30 per person, per month for vision insurance. Expect to pay more for policies that have more comprehensive benefits.
Cheaper vision plans tend to have bare-bones coverage. Family plans also have higher monthly premiums, though they can be more cost-effective than an individual plan if several people are on one plan.
Here’s a look at some of the best vision insurance companies and their starting premiums for an individual.
Monthly Premiums by Vision Insurance Company
| Company | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
EyeMed | $5 |
Ameritas | $10.67 |
Direct Vision | $11.53 |
VSP | $13 |
Humana | $14.99 |
What Does Vision Insurance Cover?
Most vision insurance plans offer basic vision benefits, including preventive eye care (namely, eye exams) and prescription eyewear, such as glasses and contact lenses.
Higher-end plans may also include coverage or discounts for specialty options, such as anti-glare or anti-scratch coatings, progressive lenses or transition lenses. Some policies may offer discounts on elective vision correction surgery, such as LASIK.
What Does Vision Insurance Not Cover?
Vision insurance plans don’t cover everything related to eye care. Products and services that aren’t covered depend on the insurer and policy, but common exclusions include:
- More than one eye exam per year
- Non-prescription glasses and contacts
- Cost of frames and lenses beyond the allowance
- Major medical treatments or surgery (these may be covered by health insurance instead)
- Miscellaneous fees charged by the optometrist
Do I Need Vision Insurance?
Vision insurance isn’t required, but it can be a good way to get help paying for your vision care.
Whether or not you need it depends on a few factors, such as how often you require eye exams and whether you need corrective lenses. If you don’t have vision problems and no family history of eye diseases, you may not need vision insurance.
You may also decide to get regular vision care without having vision insurance. You don’t need insurance to get vision care.
It’s a good idea to check with your eye doctor to see which vision insurance plans they accept. If your doctor doesn’t accept that type of vision insurance or isn’t considered in network, paying for that vision insurance plan likely isn’t worth it—unless you want to change eye doctors.
Featured Health Insurance Partners
1
Aetna
Coverage area
Offers plans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Number of providers in network
About 1.2 million
Physician copays start at
$20
2
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Coverage area:
Offers plans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Number of providers in network
About 1.7 million
Physician copays start at
$10
3
Cigna
Coverage area
Offers plans in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Number of providers in network
About 1.5 million
Physician copays start at
$0
Should I Get Vision Insurance?
Vision insurance can help you save money on your vision care, but whether it makes sense for you depends on how much you spend on care compared to the cost of coverage.
When deciding whether to get vision insurance, consider how often you go in for eye exams. Also, look back at the last couple of years and determine how much you’ve spent on eye care and corrective lenses. If your eye care costs exceed what you pay for insurance, it may be a good idea to sign up for a vision insurance plan.
The main consideration when evaluating whether vision insurance is worth it is whether the amount you could save outweighs the plan’s cost. For instance, the average eye exam costs around $152 without insurance. Eyeglasses cost $200 and up, depending on which frames and lenses you choose, according to VSP.
So if you only get an eye exam once every couple of years and don’t need to wear glasses or contacts, you’re probably better off paying out-of-pocket than signing up for vision insurance. But if you need corrective lenses and regular preventative care, you’ll most likely save money by getting vision insurance.
How to Compare Vision Insurance Companies
Each vision insurance plan has different costs and benefits. Here’s what to think about when choosing vision insurance:
- Estimate how much you pay for eye care and think about your eye care needs for the coming year. This will help you decide whether you need vision insurance and which services to check about in vision insurance policies.
- Review vision policies’ costs and coverage.
- Narrow down which plans offer the coverage that fits your budget and needs.
- Make sure your eye doctor is considered in-network in any policy you’re reviewing. Staying in network can save money.
How to Buy Vision Insurance
Vision insurance may be included with your health insurance plan, and many employers also offer vision insurance as part of their employee benefits package. You may also be able to bundle vision insurance along with your dental plan. If you don’t qualify for these options, you may need to buy your own standalone vision insurance plan.
You can look online for standalone vision plans. If you prefer more hands-on help, reach out to a vision insurance agent or broker or contact your state’s Department of Insurance.
Featured Vision Insurance Partner
1
VSP (Vision Service Plan)
Coverage
All 50 states
Network
40,000+ providers
Monthly premiums start at
$13.00
Vision Insurance FAQs
Do vision plans cover sunglasses?
Vision insurance plans often provide coverage for prescription sunglasses since they help correct your eyesight. Some plans may also offer discounts for non-prescription sunglasses if you purchase them through in-network healthcare providers. You’ll need to check with your specific vision plan to find out what coverage is available for sunglasses.
Is VSP a good plan?
VSP offers affordable eye insurance and discounts on eyeglasses, contacts and eye-related procedures and services. It’s a good idea to compare your vision insurance options, including costs and what is/isn’t covered, before deciding which plan best meets your needs.
Is VSP worth it?
VSP offers vision insurance policies with premiums as low as $13 a month, which could be worth it, depending on your needs. Plus, if you’re required to pay a copay, it’s usually only about $15 for an eye exam. VSP also offers discounts on eyeglasses, contacts and many vision services and procedures. If you have regular eye exams and wear glasses or contacts, VSP may be worth it compared to the cost of paying out-of-pocket.
Does VSP work with Costco?
Yes, VSP is accepted at participating Costco locations. Contact your local Costco to find out if VSP is accepted there.
